REPORT ON THE GEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 
By Josran TD. Wuitney, Sturgis-Hooper Professor of Geology. 
DurinG the year 1883-84 instruction was given by the 
Sturgis-Hooper Professor in Economical Geology, there being 
two lectures a week throughout the College year. The por- 
tion of the course relating to building-stones was given by Dr. 
Wadsworth. No instruction was given in lithology. 
Some field-work was done by the Professor and his Assistant 
in various parts of New England and New York, in continuation 
of preparations making for future publications. The collections 
in lithology have not, however, been materially enlarged during 
the year. 
A large portion of the time of the Sturgis-Hooper Professor 
has, during the year, been occupied with preparing for publica- 
tion, putting in type, and issuing an extensive illustrated work 
in Ornithology, ‘‘ The Water Birds of North America,” of which 
the text was prepared by Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, 
as a continuation of work begun by the Geological Survey 
of California, and continued in *“ The Land Birds of North 
America,” by the same authors. The illustrations of the Water 
Birds, having been left unfinished at the time of the stoppage of 
the California Survey (1874), were completed at the expense of 
the present writer, and after considerable delay the manuscript 
was also made ready by the authors. This manuscript having 
been examined by Mr. J. A. Allen, at the request of the Cura- 
tor of the Museum, was strongly recommended by him for pub- 
lication in the Memoirs of this institution. This arrangement 
was agreed to by the Curator, under the expectation that a 
considerable part of the expense thus incurred would be reim- 
bursed to the Museum from the sale of copies to naturalists and 
sportsmen. The first volume has been on sale for some time, 
